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As we get older and wiser, we regularly wonder what we could have done in another way when we were younger. It is vital not to blame yourself, but quite to learn priceless lessons from these experiences.
In this text, I share eight lessons I would pass on to my younger self – insights drawn from each successes and missed opportunities, designed to guide anyone who wants to deal with life’s complexities with forethought and grace.
1. Calm down – all the things will likely be fantastic
First of all, I would encourage my younger self to loosen up – indeed, all the things will likely be fantastic.
Reflecting on my youth, I was continually gripped by anxiety, a constant companion of my every step. Anxious thoughts about success and whether I would “make it” in life often clouded my mind. But looking back, I realize that these worries were a part of the journey that led me to where I am today. So I would tell my younger self: take a deep breath; the path ahead could also be uncertain, but it would lead you to your destination.
2. Travel more
As a digital nomad, I have traveled a lot, especially in Southeast Asia. However, I imagine that we are able to do much more. Back then I thought I could get less work done while traveling and my business suffered, but the truth is 49% of digital nomads achieve higher income than when they were employees.
I will always remember that, inspired by the book Shoe Dog, I visited a Japanese networking event in Bangkok in 2017. I was the only one without business cards. The whole ritual of holding a business card amazed me, but I thought, “This is so outdated,” until someone explained to me that business cards are deeply rooted in Japanese culture – a practice rooted in over 400 years of cultural history – and yet: 74% Japanese sole proprietors and freelancers use business cards! You cannot learn and experience something like this if you do not travel!
3. Work on your personal brand
Even though I took the time to build it, looking back I see huge long-term advantages that I could have leveraged further. A robust personal brand not only accumulates value over time, but it also opens many doors, offering opportunities that may otherwise remain out of reach. After selling my former blog Thrivemyway, I made good money, but lost the cumulative snowball effect of my brand. The site was running in full privilege mode. Now with my latest personal brand Create and developI will need at least a yr to reach the same level.
4. Start an agency
Building an agency is a great next step once you have an established personal brand. It’s relatively easy to arrange (compared to a software business) and profitable to run and sell. Agency firms are also seeing an increase in profits – 46% of service company owners report this over 30% annual growth.
However, running an agency comes with the risk of over-reliance on one client. Agencies that derive a large portion of their annual revenue from a single client risk a major meltdown if the client decides to drop out. To make your agency stable and attractive to investors, diversify your clients and focus on recurring (read “predictable”) income.
5. Learn to focus on tasks
I worked in an airport lounge and managed to complete a huge task in just 90 minutes. This is how I learned about the advantages of uninterrupted, focused work and Parkinson’s Law. It is very vital to develop productivity skills at an early stage so you can complete more tasks efficiently. Interestingly, it takes approx 23 minutes to regain focus on the task when you change into distracted. Therefore, maintaining concentration while working is essential for effective time management.
6. Flip the website
When we reflect on the past, starting to browse the web earlier looks like a missed opportunity. My experience selling my former blog last yr validated the business model of shopping for, improving, and then selling web sites to make a profit. This process involves identifying undervalued web sites, increasing their value and selling them at a higher price after a period of appreciation, normally 12 months. I thought I would need a lot of cash to buy a working website. However, according to statistics, you’ll be able to buy a landing page starting from just a few hundred dollars.
7. Work at a startup
Looking back, the ideal would have been to join startups in your 20s. The high energy of this era is perfect for the fast-paced life of a startup, offering invaluable experiences and networking opportunities. It’s a fact about 20% latest start-ups close inside the first yr and 90% of startups fail primarily due to lack of economic resources, market need and proper implementation. Now I have a different focus and investing my energy in another person’s dangerous enterprise now not aligns with my priorities.
8. Invest more, optimize taxes earlier
I remember back in 2016, I was working in a coworking space and working to make money as a freelancer when I overheard a conversation about someone buying a Ferrari with Bitcoin profits. I wrongly assumed that I had missed an investment opportunity. It wasn’t too late yet. Between 2015 and 2023, Bitcoin increased its price by over 173,000%.
This taught me to be more open to emerging investment opportunities, highlighting that timing could also be less critical in fast-growing markets resembling cryptocurrencies.
At the same time, I regret that I didn’t optimize my taxes earlier. I began a small startup with partners and paying taxes early choked it. Many startups do not pay dividends for many years, which ends up in a 0% corporate income tax rate. I optimized my taxes 4 months after our small startup failed.
Reflect with kindness on your past, understanding that every step, even those marked by uncertainty, was crucial in shaping who you are today. Never regret anything or blame your younger self, just use it as a learning experience. And when in doubt, ask yourself: what would my future self advise me to do?